On September 29 of each year since 2000, we mark World Heart Day without fail but it appears we find a comfortable place to doze off after that, leaving the world’s number one killer to contin­ue its havoc.

This year, the theme “Don’t Miss a Beat” focuses on “the importance of heart and blood vessel (cardiovascu­lar) health by emphasizing how losing someone to heart disease also means losing irreplaceable moments in life. It encourages individuals to prioritise heart health, not to miss important life events, and supports building a world with fewer deaths and more healthy hearts.”

Together with its members, the World Heart Federation spreads the news that at least 80 per cent of premature deaths from heart disease and stroke could be avoided if the main risk factors, tobacco, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity, are con­trolled.

Stop smoking and prevent others from smoking

a. Once upon a time, puffing the smoke of death was fashionable (maybe from a lack of adequate knowledge?) but certainly in 2025, a healthy lifestyle is in vogue. If you do not smoke, why should you inhale smoke from others (passive smoking)?

Eat more fresh fruits and vegeta­bles

a. In Ghana and other de­veloping countries, we often want something that will fill our stomach and stay there for as long as possi­ble. Why do you think “concrete” is so revered in this great land of ours? Start the day with a hefty dose and top it up with frequent gulps of water. We always come up with 1001 reasons why eating fruits could lead to instant “pocketitis” and may signal the beginning of a third world war in many homes. We love to get into unnecessary arguments about whether fruits should be eaten before or after meals etc., just eat them!

b. We probably should con­sider buying fruits when they are in season since they are much cheaper at the time

c. Kontomire, cassava leaves and garden eggs, are great vegeta­bles that will not cost you an arm and a leg. You also have the option of cabbage, lettuce etc.

d. The option of having a small garden is great but many of us do not have the luxury of space to do that.

Eat a healthy diet

a. LOW in saturated fats

i. Saturated fats can be found in animal products such as meat, milk, cheese and butter but be careful about plant products such as palm oil. Moderation is ALWAYS key.

b. LOW in refined carbohy­drates

i. Our tongues have the power to make or unmake us – talking and eating are two examples of paths that can spell doom. We love sugar, perfumed rice (white), white flour, pasta (macaroni) and white bread and will make excuses to skip brown rice for instance.

c. LOW in salt

i.This is as simple as it is stated. Reduce the salt you put in food. Avoid adding salt to already cooked food. Flee from salted snacks and watch artificial flavouring.

Increase levels of physical activ­ity

a. This is no drill on exercising but sitting on the sofa all evening or sitting at your desk for hours on end has not yet produced a healthy being. Household chores, gardening, walking even if it means while on the phone, using the stairs instead of the elevator all add up. The more you move the better for you. Dear friend, moving the TV remote does not account for much but maybe if you could walk to the TV to change channels or make other modifications then you would be on the right path.

Regular medical examinations to assess heart health

a. Beware of the modifiable risk factors for heart and blood ves­sels and check them often

i. Uncontrolled hyperten­sion, uncontrolled diabetes, abnor­mal cholesterol, obesity, physical inactivity and smoking

ii. Get evaluated for sleep apnoea especially if your snore could bring the walls down

Manage Stress

• Check the quality and quantity (duration) of your sleep and rest

• Be happy

• Spend time with people who make you laugh and those who have positive vibes. The pessimists will drain your energy.

Changing these habits and be­haviours is possible but we need to be committed. Whatever we are today is by the grace of God and the choices we made before today. Make healthy choices that will protect your heart, and it will continue to perform well for many years to come.

Today many people have died from a heart disease, and others have gained HEART HEALTH, which group would you rather join? Wouldn’t you spend quality time with family and friends for many years rather than being bedridden or spend precious endless hours in hospitals trying to fix our heart and blood vessels.

We have the power to make the right choice and stick to it.

AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, EN­SURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pres­sure, blood cholesterol, BMI)

Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel

Health Essentials Ltd/Medics Clinic

(dressel@healthessentialsgh.com)

Dr. Essel is a Medical Doctor with a keen interest in Lifestyle Med­icine, He holds an MBA and is an ISSA Specialist in Exercise Therapy, Fitness Nutrition and Corrective Exercise. He is the author of the award-winning book, ‘Unravelling The Essentials of Health & Wealth.

Thought for the week – “You have the opportunity to have a Heart Health Assessment at The Medics Clinic, Tse Addo from now through Saturday 4th October. Call 055-341- 1221 to set up an appointment or simply walk-in.”

References:

1. World Heart Federation Website

2. The Ten Commandments for A Healthy & Enjoyable Life: Dr Kojo Essel

By Dr Kojo Essel

Sleep is powerful and definitely one of the major legal perfor­mance enhancing drugs of all time but even sleep answereth not all questions related to adequate rest.

“Doctor, I am so tired. I still feel drained even after a 10-hour sleep.”

“I feel lonely, unappreciated and extremely tired. Help me doctor.”

These are two of the numerous examples that clients complain of on a daily basis. We are in “an energy crisis that has nothing to do with oil and gas” and unless we learn to take the necessary breaks and make minor adjustments to our way of life we are heading for a generation that has burnt-out high achievers. I am only drawing attention to a crisis that is often overlooked.

Deep, adequate sleep is an ex­tremely powerful life-changing nat­ural phenomenon that many people trample upon. If you had to make a single change to your life to grow healthier I will suggest you sleep more if you sleep less than seven or eight hours a day. Yes, napping also has an energizing role in our health quest. Rest is such a broad and grey area and it appears sleep is only part of the whole enigma of REST. Now you will understand why an evening with family or friends out of home after a tiring week invigorates you. Also there must be some magic spending time by the seaside even if you don’t sleep. How about playing music with friends? Rest is much more than sleep and though sleep is extremely important all the other forms of rest do matter as well.

A look at the 7 types of rest

1. Physical rest

a. We all know that feeling when you just want the body to take a break. It turns out physical rest can be broken down into two

i. Passive Rest ; lying down, sleeping, napping

ii. Active Rest; yoga, mas­sage, stretching etc.

2. Mental rest

Typically one feels irritable, forgetful and unable to concentrate at work etc. May get eight hours of sleep yet feels horrible. This may be tell-tale signs that you need mental rest

How to fix this;

• Switch off your brain. Take short breaks every two hours talk about or write down your feelings so you are not carry­ing them around

3. Sensory rest

With the noise all around, bright lights, screen time and a host of oth­ers, our senses feel overwhelmed.

How to fix this;

• Simply close your eyes for a minute
• Unplug intentionally; Take a break from computers, phones, bright lights, noise and conversations

4. Creative rest

It is important to awaken the excitement deep within us. The glitter in our eyes. That is another realm of rest.

How to fix this;

• Walk in a beautiful place in nature, watch a movie, play a musical instrument, garden or do art. The good news is you do not even need to be good at it.

5. Emotional rest

Often we are unable to say NO when that is exactly what is needed. We accept additional engagements only to sit in our corner later and feel lonely and unappreciated.

How to fix this;

• Cut back on people-pleasing “adventures”
• Create time to freely express your feelings and emotions. “ME-TIME” and SELFCARE can’t be over emphasised

6. Social rest

It is rare to find someone who needs emotional rest BUT has no social rest deficit. They often come as a “couple”. We need to be able to differentiate between relationships that energise us and those that drain all we have.

How to fix this;

• supportive and positive peo­ple, rather than people that exhaust you.
• Engage in conversation and stay focused. Paying attention does wonders to our brain

7. Spiritual rest

We all need to rely on the power of a superior being and for me it is GOD! We need that sense of belong­ing (child of God), love and a PUR­POSE. That gives us the needed rest

How to fix this;

• Prayer
• Praise and worship to The Almighty
• Meditation
• Service to the community

My advice is let us put all these into practice as often as possible. Every day is possible. Do not wait till you are too tired or feel totally broken before you search for these tips. The time is now and remember SLEEP is supreme but we need the other forms of rest to be complete. Seek professional medical care if you continue to feel “unrested”.

AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, EN­SURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pres­sure, blood cholesterol, BMI)

Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel

Health Essentials Ltd/Medics Clinic

(www.healthessentialsgh.com)

Dr. Essel is a Medical Doctor with a keen interest in Lifestyle Med­icine, He holds an MBA and is an ISSA Specialist in Exercise Therapy, Fitness Nutrition and Corrective Exercise. He is the author of the award-winning book, ‘Unravelling The Essentials of Health & Wealth.

Thought for the week – “Whatever you practise grows stronger, what are you practising now?”

References:

1. Saundra Dalton-Smith, MD – ideas.ted.com